Conversation With a Huxley
by Ezqueza
Summary: When Deryn had her first flight with a Huxley she spent six hours with the damned thing. And hey, who else was there to talk to? PLEASE REVIEW! IT REPLENISHES ME LIIIIIIIFEEEEEEE!


Deryn made a mental note that next time she spent hours floating in a Huxley she would bring something to do. She had been dangling here for a while, and would probably not see ground again for ages. Well, she could _see _the ground, but great help that was on her aching bum. Staring up at the Huxley, she wondered if she could entertain herself by watching it curl and uncurl its tentacles.

"You're probably a hit at parties," She grumbled after a few minutes, "A proper riot you are."

The Huxley, either in response or because it thought it saw a flock of birds, flicked one of its tendrils.

"Riveting," Deryn commented dryly.

Another twenty minutes or so of silence.

"I might be cracked in the attic, in fact, I _know _I'm cracked in the attic," Said the girl, "but you seem to be the type who wouldn't care what was between my legs. You don't seem to care if I'm a boy or not. That's dead decent of you."

The Huxley shivered a bit, almost as if it really were listening. This startled Deryn a bit, but then she reminded herself that Huxleys had no brains in their heads for polite conversation. Probably just a bad gust of wind. Even so, this Huxley would probably be the only thing she wouldn't have to lie to for a while now.

"But I'm serious. I doubt you beasties will care too much about who's feeding you. I don't even know if some of your cousins have a difference between boys and girls."

Though to anyone else this conversation may be cause to lock her in the loony bin, Deryn felt the need to prod on.

"…And even so, the air service doesn't really care as long as you burp hydrogen. Whenever I would burp my Ma would whack me upside the head with a slipper. Funny how that is? Isn't it?"

A soft vibration sent its way down the rig.

"Blisters," Deryn swore, "Are you _laughing?" _

It took a couple of moments to compose herself.

"Oh, course' not. Just the sun, you hydrogen breathers really like to be warm."

She continued for a reason she didn't even know.

"I suppose you're a 'mam' then? That is what I'd call a military woman like yourself, that is, if you _are _a girl like me. Or maybe you're a barking princess Huxley on the run from a plot to start a Beastie war because your ma was a common jellyfish and your da was a royal squid."

She laughed at her joke.

"Don't worry, your princessliness, I wont tell the officers who you are," a pause, "If I ever get the chance to meet one. Who knows? Maybe this little adventure will get me kicked out of the air service. I haven't even started yet. That would be barking low."

"In fact," Deryn continued, leaning back in the harness, "I am not too sure how far I want my deception to go. I can't be a boy forever, especially if I end up an officer. They'd check my family and I wouldn't put it past my Ma and Aunties to tell the truth just to get me back in a corset. Even if I do go all the way, you know, getting decorated and all, at some point all my service mates will be getting hitched, Then what will _I _do? Get a wife and happen to mention on our wedding night that she married another woman? Barking spiders that'd be rough."

Another shiver ran through the beast.

"Ah, that's right, you'd probably be long gone before any of that happens. You might be through before I even get assigned to a ship. But if matters at all, I'll save a seat for you in the Kirk in case you get lucky. Doesn't that make you feel better?"

This time there was no response. As if, though impossible, the creature was not too amused.

"I'll have to pretend to like girls though. I suppose it isn't hard. Just claim loudly that they don't have brains and are only as good as the diddies on their chests and the prize between their legs. I'd fit in right. Stupid boys don't even know what to like in a woman. I've known many girls, girls my older brother would fancy, and they couldn't walk straight if you gave them a rope to hold on to. But to be fair, direction must get tricky when you're rocking your bum like a donkey's."

More trembling. Making the illusion of laughter again. Deryn smiled, the Huxley had once again slipped into the sunlight.

"I am not going anywhere for a while, so a nap wouldn't hurt. After all, that last time I've slept was when my face was plastered to a flight novel and was too jittery to sleep with the prospect of flying. Funny, how the very thought of the sky could keep me up all night but now that I'm here I'm ready to rest."

She stretched her legs in the rig.

"Well, it was nice talking with you, or rather, talking _at _you, but I think I'll be asleep for a while. Wake me up if anything important happens. Night, Princess Huxley."

Before drifting away, Deryn heard a very loud bug being digested.

"Aye, a proper _lady"_


End file.
